DU breaks rule, wants name in answer paper

In a move certain to cause a flutter in the campus, Delhi University has decide to make it mandatory for students to write their name as well as the name of their father on answer sheets.

They will also have to disclose which college they are from, a stark contrast to the practice of using only roll numbers during examinations, which ensured students remained anonymous to teachers correcting their papers. This way, the assessment was fair and neutral.

Earlier, students would write their names on a slip, which would later be removed from the answer sheet.

Officials say this move will save them time and effort. Since the semester system was introduced, exams are held twice a year.

However, the idea has met with stiff resistance. “A name is an indicator of caste, religion, region and gender, which may expose children to the possibility of unfair assessment,” said Anoop Kumar of NGO Insight Foundation, which fights caste discrimination in education.

“For the university to expect that every teacher will be impartial is stupid,” said a principal from a north campus college on condition of anonymity.